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Missing From Linux 2.6.36: VIA's TTM/GEM DRM

08-10-2010, 08:10 AM

Phoronix: Missing From Linux 2.6.36: VIA's TTM/GEM DRM

The Linux 2.6.36 kernel is set to carry some much-anticipated changes like AppArmor integration, major VFS performance improvements, a likely Btrfs performance regression fix, and quite a few changes when it comes to the graphics Direct Rendering Manager code. Just when it comes to the Linux DRM code in this next kernel release there is quite a bit of fun with the Intel kernel driver better supporting Embedded DisplayPort and tracepoints for page-flipping and vblank, the ATI Radeon kernel driver gaining R600/700 tiling support / support for reading R600 thermal sensors / R300 through R500 Hyper-Z support, and the Nouveau driver supporting KMS with the GeForce GTX 400 series and better DisplayPort capabilities. While the Intel, ATI/AMD, and NVIDIA/Nouveau DRM driver improvements will excite a majority of the desktop Linux user-base caring about open-source graphics drivers for their hardware, it's not enough to excite everyone. In particular, VIA is still missing from the field -- more than two years after they announced a new open-source initiative and promised to better engage within the Linux ecosystem...

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I had a mainboard with a via chipset once, but that was back in the "slot" cpu days... I think it was a K7-750.

I gotta say that this VIA stuff is really getting boring. Occasional long-winded announcement that boils down to "no news". Gotta hand it to Michael though, it can't be easy to write a whole page that says "still nothin'".

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Hi, I do have a notebook with VIA integrated graphic K8M890 Chrome9. And I intend to use it as a media center with an external monitor... But there is no good 2D acceleration when using full screen. Still waiting... meantime using XP...
I hope VIA can finally manage to do something good with Linux drivers. I do follow closely all the posts about this issue in this Forum.

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I would. I grew up on VIA. They used to own chipsets and did great drivers for them but they are having truoble. It's not just the open source driver hold ups that are showing their hand. It's the fact that the promised dual core chip nano 3000 chip hasn't shown up either.

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I have one of the HP netbooks with a VIA C7-M + Chrome9 in it. Whether VIA have much to do with it, the experience with it has been pretty good for me. It all depends on ones expectations, I guess.

Same here. Working ok with openchrome though without 3D. They've recently released drivers for Ubuntu 9.10 (I know, I know...) and 10.04, which contain a "source code" folder for the DRM part.
Since I run PCLinuxOS on mine I haven't poked much around with them yet. I've had bad experiences with their precompiled stuff, prone to messing up on a kernel upgrade.

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Sadly. Yes.
2 x CLE266 and a CN700. Im already happy if MPEG2 accel works. The chips would have been ok for small home entertainment system or whatever since the whole C7 Eden stuff boards consume very few and are silent but alas without any proper GPU drivers... some day I was so done with that mess I even put an old Geforce 2 into the CN700 box so it would just work somehow. Blocked the single PCI slot on that board (ITX).

The CLE266s are laptops so I can't do anything about them.

I'm so glad I have ATI-AMD chips on my main box. Even though I drive the large R600 with fglrx (energy saving) it just works with fglrx or the free drivers as well. Just some parts in 3d and enrgy management still miss in the free part.
Yes and fglrx's performance in 2d isn't really that great. Furthermore under W32 I often have problems to get it installed at all.